Sources Begin your Works Cited:Use MLA unless your teacher tells you to use another style! Begin looking for possible sources to make sure you can find enough reliable information about your topic. Also, notice what kind of research has already been done on the topic. From the titles, you might see how to narrow or broaden your topic further. Bear in mind that your Works Cited will change from start to finish. You will not use all of the sources you find, so these will not appear in your final Works Cited. Look for a variety of sources in a variety of places, many of which are listed below. Types of Sources:
Books (including reference books)
Academic Journals
Magazines
Newspapers
Primary Sources
Brochures, pamphlets, newsletters
Databases (subscription) – books, articles, & more in electronic format
Internet (free Web) - you need to evaluate!
People – interviews, e-mails, letters, journals
Television programs, movies, videos, radio programs
Music & sound recordings
Images, photographs, & drawings
Maps, diagrams, charts, & timelines
Primary Vs. Secondary Sources:
A primary source is an original source of information. Historical documents such as the “Declaration of Independence” are primary sources. A primary source can also be a person, an “eyewitness” to action as it occurs. Another example of a primary source is the data from a scientific study. Primary sources include diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, poetry, plays, speeches, letters, songs, short stories, novels, interviews, government & historical documents, photographs, & peer-reviewed journal articles.
A secondary source summarizes, interprets, analyzes, or critiques a primary source. Most research is done using secondary sources. A book of critical essays about an author or novel is a secondary source. A document that interprets the “U. S. Constitution” is a secondary source. Secondary sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, reviews, textbooks, & biographies.
Remember to keep accurate citation informationfor every source you use in your research! To find reliable information, click Search Techniques.
Sources
Begin your Works Cited:Use MLA unless your teacher tells you to use another style! Begin looking for possible sources to make sure you can find enough reliable information about your topic. Also, notice what kind of research has already been done on the topic. From the titles, you might see how to narrow or broaden your topic further. Bear in mind that your Works Cited will change from start to finish. You will not use all of the sources you find, so these will not appear in your final Works Cited. Look for a variety of sources in a variety of places, many of which are listed below.
Types of Sources:
Primary Vs. Secondary Sources:
Remember to keep accurate citation informationfor every source you use in your research!
To find reliable information, click Search Techniques.